Chokehold
by InsurgentHorde
Summary: Blaire Kensington had an inkling this would happen. Or rather, something like it. After all, you don't get put into these kinds of situations very often and not figure something out sooner or later. Research Professional full time, law student part time, Blaire is gently sucked into a world she doesn't remember asking to join.
1. Chapter 1

BELGRAVE UNIVERSITY.

To Blaire, it was the single most interesting place in the world. She'd received the offer of a lifetime almost a year and a half ago, now. It seemed like a lifetime ago with everything she'd come across during her time at the university. After an incredibly successful career in her undergraduate program, Blaire had her heart set on a legal education. She knew, somewhere inside, that law school was her next step.

The real mystery was where.

The U.S. has more than enough law schools to choose from, with varying degrees of prestige and notoriety. One of the challenges Blaire faced stemmed from the bulk of her undergraduate work: research. She'd successfully earned her bachelor's degree from a fairly well known institution in history. Ancient texts, to be specific. She'd dabbled in other topics, but nothing else in her repertoire stood out as much as the ancient texts did. That's likely why Belgrave reached out to her, after all.

She honestly thought it was a scam, at first. She'd never even heard of Belgrave University before the letter came. Already equipped with a healthy dose of skepticism, warning bells had run rampant through that eerie sixth sense most people have when the letter not only offered her a spot in their part-time law program, tuition free, but _also_ requested that she apply to the University's "esteemed research program," which boasted numerous accolades, grants, and more. Even further, the letter informed Blaire that the position was paid (very well) _and_ provided her the option of on-campus housing options (included in the employment offer) or a housing stipend, recipients choice.

Needless to say, the first thing she did was research. With a school boasting such a prestigious research opportunity in addition to _seeking her out_, something felt wrong. But everything checked out. Belgrave proved to be very real, and very rich in history. Blaire discovered that the University was located on the other side of the country, and chalked that up to her lack of prior knowledge of the institution. Something was bothering her, at the edge of her conscience, but like all the ignorant chose to ignore it and push forward with the opportunity.

Admittedly, it didn't take her long to make her decision. Known for her impulsive decisions, her family wasn't exactly surprised when one day they heard about the letter and subsequent opportunity and only six days later a decision had been reached. Truthfully, she'd been waiting for an opportunity to explore the world even a bit more, and had been struggling to find appropriate work in her home state.

It was all too convenient. Perhaps she should have listened to that small part of her that was screaming a warning. Maybe she shouldn't have. Fate is a fickle thing, doing whatever it takes to get the result it wants. In the end, her choices were small and inconsequential. The larger facets of her life were already laid out, leaving only the timeline left to chance.

That had been during the winter after graduation. Six months later, as summer blossomed, Blaire found herself saying her final goodbyes to her family, traveling to the elusive Belgrave University, and settling in quickly.

* * *

STARTING HER NEW life during the summer months had been a relief. Her nerves were more alive than they'd been in years moving so far on her own, without the added stress of classes starting soon. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't terrified. Her choice to live in an on campus accommodation soothed her only a little; she had relative safety even during the summer living on campus than if she'd had to find her own place in the surrounding area. From what, she wasn't sure.

When she arrived, she was happy with her decision. The place the University had assigned her was nice. Very nice. Set back from campus, it was clear the building was and older house that had been repurposed a few times with the changing needs of the school (made obvious by the sign in front of the closed in porch that read "Manor House" over poorly covered weather spots from what had once been other names for the building). It had that classic 18th century look to it, with large bay windows on each side of the heavy wooden door, set out in alcoves even up to the second floor. Small windows where the foundation would have been alerted her to the presence of a cellar from the front of the house. The siding was clearly not original, painted a dark color (could have been brown or black, the sun had faded it just enough where it was hard to tell which was the original shade) with light colored storm shutters to contrast.

A small distance behind the home was the forest that surrounded half of the school, a clear dirt path leading to a trail of some sort that disappeared around a bend in the trail, obscured by the trees. Blaire made a quick mental note to explore that in the near future.

The interior was just as gorgeous and aged as the exterior. Faded wallpaper lined the walls already pre-decorated with period photos and paintings, and the more she explored her new home, the more surprised she became that she was the only one living there. Surely the University made a mistake; there was way too much space here for just one research professional. The first floor was clearly the "living" space, holding a spacious kitchen, two half baths, a dining room, a study, and not one but TWO living rooms. Then entryway was more of a high-ceilinged foyer with a chandelier that showed it age over the staircase that led to the second floor, which was one of those that the "hallway" overlooked the foyer over a wooden railing. The various bedrooms and bathrooms were hidden behind closed doors that weren't explored immediately due to the knock at the door.

Startled, Blaire navigated her way back through the maze of boxes the moving company had dropped off for her to the door, and opened it. Standing in front of her was a well put-together woman with sleek, dark hair wearing a sharp skirt suit. Blaire felt incredibly underdressed in her well worn jeans and t-shirt.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Kensington. I hope you are finding your accommodations adequate, I must apologize for not being able to introduce myself sooner. I had hoped to greet you as you came to campus this morning, however something came to my attention that I had to see to immediately. I'm Chancellor Vera Stone, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to the staff of Belgrave University. We truly are lucky you have you," the woman introduced herself, clasping her hands in front of her as she spoke.

Blaire's eyes widened a fraction, so this was the woman with whom she'd been in contact with since her selection for the position. "It's wonderful to finally meet you in person, Chancellor Stone. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future. Please, forgive my appearance. I wasn't expecting to see anyone so soon," she admitted sheepishly.

Chancellor Stone raised an eyebrow, "Yes, well, you'll come to find that you'll expect the unexpected during your time here. Anyways, I have for you a brief on your first assignment as well as my contact info. You're familiar with Latin, correct?"

Blaire blinked, "Yes, Chancellor." She took the folder that was extended towards her from a perfectly manicured hand. "I'll get started right away."

"That's what I like to hear. Feel free to use the library to its fullest extent, there's a map of campus included in that folder. The normal operating hours are shortened with the summer session, but your identification card will get you in after hours. Be sure to leave things as you find them, else those privileges will be revoked. I look forward to seeing what you've accomplished on Monday." _A whole four days away. _

Blaire nodded, flipping open the folder and beginning to skim the documents. Without another word, the Chancellor turned and left, her heels creating the perfect cadence on the wooden porch underneath her. Stunned by the abruptness, Blaire hesitated a moment before shutting the door behind her. _What a harsh woman._

Taking a glance at the mass of boxes that blocked most of the foyer, she let out a sigh. _Looks like this might take all summer to get settled after all_, she thought to herself as she pushed her way to the dining room. For now it was the room with the most space to spread out, and already held her laptop which was likely going to be her most useful resource for at least a little while. She was happy to leave the attempt to navigate the comparatively massive campus to a later time.

And so, Blaire began to settle in to her new life.

If only she had known what she was in store for in the beginning.


	2. Settling In Chapter 1

WORK WAS WORK. At least, that's what Blaire told herself most days.

In the course of her first year working and studying at the University, a number of things happened. Her research had started out slow, between acclimating to the new environment and adjusting to the content that Chancellor Stone had her spending the bulk of her time on. Blaire hadn't been let in on the details of what exactly the bigger picture was for her research assignments, but had found out quickly as the semester approached that one of her responsibilities during the academic year was teaching a course in Latin. Chancellor Stone, when questioned (since most of the programs have the necessary latin built into their curriculum) gave a vague answer along the lines of students expressing an interest in a dedicated course. Understanding that she wasn't in a place to question further, Blaire had dropped the subject.

Between juggling a course from the teaching side (a definite first), her research assignments, and her own legal doctrinal courses, Blaire didn't get a lot of time for herself. Most days her mid-length dark brown hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail with barely any makeup around her equally brown eyes or full lips. The extensive grounds of the campus led to her suits being paired with flats or appropriate boots, not willing to destroy her feet in heels so early in her career. She rationalized that at 5'6" she was tall enough for her sex, and since she worked alone in her position there wasn't any reason to impress anyone. Carrying a spare pair of shoes around constantly was a hassle in itself anyways, and would have gotten in the way of the different materials she carried across the campus on a daily basis in her leather over the shoulder tote bag.

That first year though went by faster than she could have imagined. Her research consumed most of her time. The Chancellor had her translating document after document, it seemed. Sometimes the Chancellor would hand her a folder like she had on that very first day, sometimes a messenger was sent with a set, or sometimes a package was simply left on her porch for her to find when she returned home for the day.

It only took a couple of weeks for Blaire to catch on to something more going on with the texts the Chancellor had her working with. While she was used to strange topics (the ancients had strange beliefs in comparison to modern ones, after all) the documents she worked with were just...more. Oftentimes Blaire felt as though the papers in her hands were alive, humming with an unfamiliar energy that unnerved her. Other times she was either finding documents that weren't previously accounted for or searching frantically through her at-home workspace for a piece that never even existed.

That was another thing. Chancellor stone insisted that Blaire work in her home. It was almost like she shouldn't be seen with these documents, but why would that be the case? She was hired on to the University staff for exactly this purpose, translating ancient texts. With the condition some of the documents were in, that box was definitely checked on her job description. Why she couldn't do that in the office space provided to her was another mystery.

The spring semester caused a lot of trouble. The day itself started out wrong, since Blaire had run out of eggs a couple days before and failed to make it out to the grocery store to restock. So the breakfast she was looking forward to was out the window. Starting the day with a sour mood, she knew the last thing she wanted to do was go see Chancellor Stone, but the woman had requested the return of the most recent batch of texts as soon as possible, and in person. Blaire didn't necessarily understand the importance, as the documents translated were only a garbled mixture of anecdotes surrounding some nameless ritual worship of a time long past.

Pulling on the blazer to her plain black pantsuit with more force than usual, she checked her bag that sat ready to go by the door one last time for all the texts. Satisfied that they were all still present as they had been when she packed the bag the night before, she headed out the door locking it behind her. Outside, the skies were dark and overcast, a hearty breeze twirling itself through the trees surrounding the place that she had come to call her home. _Great,_ she thought, _Just another great thing to add to my day._ She sincerely hoped that she hadn't made a grave error by leaving her rain jacket at home; it threatened to rain all the time this time of year, and hopefully would hold off long enough for her to do what she needed to.

Her walk to the Chancellor's office felt longer than usual due to her poor mood. Readjusting her grip on her bag, she trudged her way up the stairs leading to the administration building where the Chancellor was located. In all honesty, Blaire fully expected Ms. Stone to be conveniently out of the office, which would give her the opportunity to drop the folder in the makeshift mailbox that was posted to the side of the door and avoid an encounter with the woman altogether. Unfortunately for her, that would be all too convenient the way the day was going. As luck would have it, as Blaire approached the closed door she heard the very distinct tones of Chancellor Stone, as well as a few others.

_Great_, she thought, _Now I get to interrupt another one of her meetings._ She had made the mistake once before, assuming the Chancellor didn't want to be bothered in times exactly like this. Blaire had learned however after the first tongue lashing that the Chancellor was very particular about the texts she requested in person delivery of, regardless of who else she might be meeting with at the time. So, Blaire sucked in a breath and knocked twice on the door, with purpose.

There was an abrupt hush that fell over the room before the door opened, revealing the Chancellor and two individuals who looked like students-one male and one female. The Chancellor looked surprised to see her, as if she had been expecting someone else at the door. Normally not too unsettling, as the Chancellor met with students often in varying capacities, but the male student was covered in what Blaire sorely wished was a dye of some sort, a deep red in color. She feared it was blood. Feared she had walked into something she shouldn't have.

"I have the texts you wanted returned," She said, unable to take her eyes off of the clearly bleeding student.

* * *

The Chancellor narrowed her eyes at her research assistant, cursing the girl in her thoughts. This was the fifth time something like this had happened since she'd been hired. There had been even more close calls before that. Perhaps it had been a mistake to bring the girl in, though her work truly was invaluable to The Order. At this rate The Order was going to have a problem keeping stores of the memory powder that Stone ordered the female student, Medicum Alyssa Drake, to use in that moment.

One sharp look to the two Order members was all it took to keep them quiet, their questioning gazes heavy on their Magus. As much as she believed she didn't have to worry about the graduate student, it was getting ridiculous the number of times the girl had been close to discovering their secret. It shouldn't have been this difficult, either. For years The Order had been kept secret from an entire University, right under their noses, and here was a research assistant getting closer to finding the truth than anyone had before.

And not for lack of trying.

Sucking on her teeth, the Magus sent the students away after performing a quick healing spell. _Now, to figure out what to do with Ms. Kensington…_

* * *

Blaire woke with a start. She lurched forward, barely grabbing onto the table in front of her in time to save her poor forehead from making contact with the solid wood. Her head was already pounding like she partied for three days straight, the last thing she wanted to do was add to that pain accidentally. Groaning, she squeezed her eyes shut and ran a hand over her face in a lame attempt to ease the ache.

It took a moment, but the memories came back in pieces. This was the third time she'd felt like this, missing an entire chunk of her day. Looking out the window of her workspace, she saw that the sky had darkened even more in however much time had passed this time.

After the first occurrence, Blaire had assumed she had just blacked out or something from the stress of her situation. The second time, when memories came back, she had a sneaking suspicion that something fishy was going on. This time, she was sure. Something was fucking with her memories. She remembered arriving a Chancellor Stone's office, and a red substance..._Blood_? She thought, the memory hazy.

Groaning again, she covered her face and gave up on trying to push through the memory. Between the weird things she had been translating and tracking down, the things she half remembered, and the chills her work gave her sometimes...something was wrong. Very wrong.


	3. Don't Stop Now Chapter 2

FREE TIME WAS PLANNED TIME. At least, for Blaire it was. With the constant additions to her various workloads, she had to almost physically carve out time in her schedule to keep her sanity. After her last memory episode, there was nothing Blaire wanted more than to get away from the confusion that seeped its way into most aspects of her life. And by that, she meant getting as close to blackout drunk as she could without completely falling off the edge.

So that's how she ended up in her current predicament, tip-toeing out of a house that she had definitely never been to before, half dressed and hungover as hell.

But we'll get there.

The evening started on a Saturday around 2PM, when Blaire checked the last item off of her responsible "To-Do" list for both school and work. Throwing her head back and leaning against the stiff back of the chair she sat in, Blaire let out a deep breath. _Finally_, she thought. She briefly rubbed at her temples before closing the offending laptop in front of her. The last thing she wanted to think about was the unfinished documents that were left open on the device, all with looming due dates. But they could and would wait just a little bit longer. Blaire was as caught up as she needed to be at this point, and beyond caring. Pushing the chair back from the cluttered desk of her study, she took a cursory glance around the room-which, mind you, looked a mess from all the miscellaneous papers and books that littered the room in various states- and shook her head. Tidying could wait another evening, too.

Moments later she was closing the door to the study in an effort to distance herself from the work as much as she could, she made her way to the staircase in the foyer that led to the main part of the second floor. Blaire had discovered sometime over the course of the last year that there was in fact more than one set of stairs, attesting to the age of the building. From the kitchen there was a small and narrow staircase that led to a hidden panel on the second floor, just outside of the master bedroom-the one Blaire had naturally chosen for herself, being the only one with a full en suite bathroom. The kitchen also held the entrance to what Blaire assumed was the basement, but the door had been locked since she moved in. Very well in tune with her common sense, Blaire had a feeling that the door was locked without a key in sight for a reason and left it at that.

Taking the stairs two at a time, she raced to her room. She silently thanked herself again for the impulse purchase of the house socks that she wore on her feet, boasting a cheery holiday print with rubber grippies on the bottom. The hardwood flooring of the house made it particularly dangerous to anyone with poor balance and smooth socks. Especially at the speed Blaire had just taken the left hand turn around the railing of the hall to get to her room, hidden behind the door closest to the front of the house.

It was a matter of seconds after opening her bedroom door that Blaire was sprawled out on her queen sized bed, face buried in her array of pillows at the head of the bed. She let out a long and slow breath, feeling her body decompress and her spine crack wonderfully as the pressure was relieved. She would have been delighted to stay in bed for the rest of her Saturday, but knew she'd regret it if she let another opportunity to go out slip through her fingers. Knowing she was doomed to do just that if she didn't motivate herself soon, she groaned into her pillow in defeat. Pushing herself up by her forearms she slid herself backwards off of her bed in the general direction of her bathroom, set on taking a nice long, hot shower.

* * *

Dressed in what would later become her pajamas, Blaire smoothed her long hair into a tight bun on the back of her head, already treated with mousse to define the curls that would tumble down after it dried and she removed the hair band she was currently securing around it. _Phase one of getting ready, complete_. Blaire looked over to the digital clock face on the outdated cable box that served as a tv stand on her dresser across the room. _3:15_. She'd killed almost an hour with her in-depth shower routine. Pleased, she glanced back into the bathroom one last time to make sure she removed the clutter from her skincare routine from the countertop, and grabbed her phone from the bedside table where she had left it this morning so she could focus on her work. Checking her notifications, she was unsurprised to find she hadn't missed many direct messages, just a lot of inane chatter from various group chats that made her smile to herself as she made her way back downstairs to the kitchen.

Parched, the first thing she did was make a beeline to the dated refrigerator where she kept a constant supply of her favorite cola. As she reached for a can, she assessed her food situation. She wasn't desperately in need of groceries, another thing she thanked herself for. Grocery shopping was an activity she reserved for during the week, as a productive getaway from her day to day work and school activities. It being Saturday, however, meant she was mostly out of her precooked meals since that was a time consuming weekend activity. Checking the time on her phone, she debated for a moment before deciding she had enough time to make a hearty soup before she wanted to leave.

Closing the refrigerator, she cracked open her Coke and set to work, finding her denim apron that hung on the inside of the pantry door first and tying it around her waist. On her right was that locked door, and to the left of the pantry was a bit of counter space before the gas range stove that Blaire absolutely loved. She felt spoiled after living in apartments that only had small electric stove units that were the _absolute worst_. On the other side of the stove in the bottom cupboard was where Blaire kept her trusty soup pot that her mother had bought her when she had moved into her first apartment (along with _most_ of the essentials). Pulling it out from its storage spot, she began her soup-making task, telling her virtual assistant over the device in her kitchen to play one of her favorite cooking playlists.

The next time Blaire looked up from her task, the soup was almost done and another good hour and a half had passed. As she reduced the soup to a simmer, she ditched her apron in a pile on the counter and set to work cleaning up the delicious mess she had just created. Lucky for her, the kitchen was equipped with a gorgeous stainless steel extra wide double bay sink on the opposite wall that made doing the dishes a breeze. What's even better was that the sink was strategically placed in front of a large bay window that served not only to let a great deal of natural light into the room, but a great view out to the back side of the house where she had a small yard with a flower bed, garden, and fantastic view of the woods behind her house. Absentmindedly, she made a mental note to go for a run the next day.

By the time she had eaten a bowl of soup, stored the leftovers, and cleaned up the rest of the kitchen, six o'clock had rolled around. Blaire grinned as she looked at the time on her phone, deeming it late enough to begin getting ready for her night out.

Making her way back up to her bedroom, she took the stairs one at a time. Filled with food this time around she didn't want to risk any mistakes that could be relatively painful at the moment. Returning to her room a second time that day, she made a beeline to her closet (which also showed its age).

The layout of the bedroom was pretty straightforward: From the doorway her bed was placed in the middle of the room against the back wall straight ahead. To the right, on the right hand wall, was the door to the en suite bathroom, and to the left of the bed on the same wall was a door that went straight back to her closet. The left wall held a cute alcove with yet another large bay window, coupled with a cushioned window seat that doubled as more storage. Next to the entry door on the left side was the dresser that the tv and cable box rested on.

The only other furniture in the room other than the bed, dresser, and nightstands was an old steamer trunk that Blaire had found at a thrift shop years ago and just had to have. What had once likely been a travelling trunk for someone now held various knick knacks and books that Blaire had kept over the years. It sat at the end of the bed, set away from the solid wood frame a few inches so as not to damage either item. Underneath was a simple solid color rug large enough to fit entirely under the bed, trunk, and two nightstands on either side of the bed. It helped with the morning chill of the cold hardwood floor.

The closet, then, was a gem in itself. It ran the entire width of her bedroom, and was about six feet deep. It was the largest walk-in closet she'd ever seen, nevermind had the privilege to call her own. The bareness of the room lent itself to that fact quite generously. Because of this, Blaire had taken to only using the space that she needed closest to the door. _No sense it spreading what little I have around_ she had thought when she was unpacking.

So, while her clothing options were limited in the first place, it was easy to see how her "going-out" clothes were even more limited. Looking at the shelves in front of her, she weighed her options. She could wear her little black dress, a pair of high waisted jeans paired with a green striped crop top, or a summer dress. With so few options, the decision to go with the jeans and crop top was a quick one.

Satisfied with her choice in outfit, she grabbed the clothes along with the heeled boots that would go with it she exited her closet and tossed them onto the bed as she made her way to the bathroom to do her makeup-the part that would take the longest.

Another 45 minutes had passed by the time Blaire was setting her makeup with a fine mist. A quick final glance in the mirror reflect deliciously red lips, glittering eyelids, and killer winged eyeliner. Making her way back into her bedroom, she skillfully maneuvered her way out of her pajama shirt without smudging any of her makeup. Years of practice, that trick took. Putting the crop top on was much easier since the neckline was so low. A few more minutes and her soft pants were replaced with skin tight button fly jeans that hugged her figure in the most pleasant way. The heels were the final touch to the outfit before she was confident enough to let her hair down from it's bun, hoping enough time had passed since her shower to properly dry the hair and hold the loose curl.

Running her fingers through her hair to smooth it out, she didn't bother to go back to the bathroom to mess with her hair. Blaire knew from experience that whatever it did now was all it was ever going to do. It felight light and airy enough, and when she ran her hands through it it wasn't as damp as she feared it was so that was a good sign. Maybe the style would last a little bit longer since it was relatively dry.

Shrugging to herself, she grabbed her phone, keys, and wallet from the bed where she had last seen them, and headed out.

* * *

Blaire had found out quickly that even with the large size of the university, the bar scene was severely lacking. Probably due to the fact that Belgrave University was nestled in a quintessential college town-where the town was the university. That being said, the bar choices might have been slim but they weren't so bad.

The bar of choice for the students was clear, a quaint at classic place called The Blade and Chalice that had a strangely nice working environment during the day, and active night scene. Especially on weekends. Saturday nights, in particular, the place was cleared of the tables and chairs in the center of the bar to make way for the DJ the bar invited every weekend to liven things up.

Blaire approached the bar that Saturday evening for just that reason. Without any friends of her own, the bar was the best place for her to just let loose on the weekends. Her only other option, after all, were the numerous frat parties that were scattered across campus. As not only a graduate student but a full time employee of the University, that didn't seem like the best idea, nor an attractive one.

The party was full swing when she stepped through the door. Bodies crowded the makeshift dance floor as colored lights flashed through the open room, the house lights dimmed significantly. Equipped with a smile, she mouthed the words to the song that she recognized playing over the speakers and made her way over to the bar to order her first drink of the night.

_With any luck,_ she thought, _I'll get someone else to buy me some drinks tonight._ She thanked the bartender when she came back with her bottle of hard cider, trading her cash for the drink. When she turned her back to the bar, her eyes made a sweep of the room. She recognized a lot of the people around, if only by face. Many were regulars at The Blade and Chalice, and easily recognizable. Others were from around campus.

As the song changed to another upbeat pop song, Blaire slipped through the crowd of people towards the center, where she knew from experience she'd have the most fun. The faces here she recognized from their consistent presence at these events. Over the past year she'd made a solid acquaintanceship with for this situation exactly. The group of young men and women welcomed her with -quite literal- open arms as the first verse of the song began. Screaming the lyrics of the popular song along with the others, Blaire proceeded to pass a good amount of time between the drinking and mindless ass shaking that qualified as dancing.

Things only got really interesting when she pushed her way back to the bar, a little more than tipsy, for her next round of drinks. She was almost there when a body knocked into her from behind, forcing her to stumble forwards a bit before she could catch herself, lightly on the arm of the poor guy that was already at the bar waiting for his drink. She vaguely felt hands on her back that were some form of apology from whoever had bumped into her, but Blaire was a little distracted.

When she straightened herself out and turned to apologize to the person she used as a catch-all, she had to pause for her brain to catch up with her body. The face in front of her wasn't incredibly familiar, _But god is he attractive_ Blaire thought, mouth slightly open. She caught herself quickly, apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry, I'm beyond tipsy and not the most balanced at the moment," She explained, with an apologetic smile.

The man looked back at her, returning her smile. "Don't even worry about it. It's so crowded in here, and I saw what happened. Are you alright?" He asked her, concern in his eyes as he glanced down at her heels.

Blaire responded first with a giggle. "Yeah, I'm fine. It takes a lot more than a little stumble to twist an ankle in these bad boys," she responded, turning to the bartender when the stranger received his drink and ordered hers quickly. She turned back to the stranger, hoping to pull even a little more conversation out of him over the music. "I haven't seen you around one of these before," she commented.

He paused to take a swig from the glass the bartender had handed him before answering. "I'm generally not here for these things, they're not my thing. My...friends, brought me out here tonight for a change of pace and I'm still not convinced that it's my scene," he said nodding to a dark haired male and female that occupied one of the booths that were still in the room. The man perked up when he saw the two looking at him, and waved enthusiastically. What Blaire didn't see was the wink the young man sent to the stranger in front of her when she turned back to him.

The smile hadn't left her face by the time the bartender was back with her drink. Taking a sip, she responded, "I see. Well, if their position is any clue, you're clearly not doing this right. You can't sit a talk with your already established friends when you're out like this; you have to put yourself out there and dance!" She gasped as the next song began to play. "Come on, dance with me! I love this song, and I've just voted myself your new best friend." She grabbed his hand and gently tugged him along with her, knowing full well that he was only going to go with her if he truly wanted to. When he didn't pull away from her, she mentally leapt in triumph.

At first, it was awkward. So awkward. This guy was so out of his element it almost made Blaire laugh. But she remembered the days when she too was like that. All it took was a little coaxing to break her shell, and she wondered if things were the same for this stranger. So she did the only thing she knew and pulled him closer to loosen up his body with hers. Learning to dance with a partner was much more productive than solo, after all. She felt him stiffen from the contact, but she ignored it in her drunken state and simply continued dancing, hoping that her feigned indifference would relax him and let him go with the flow. She could tell he'd had his fair share of alcohol that night and figured it wouldn't take him too long to go with the flow.

* * *

Randall Carpio watched the scene unfold from his little corner of the bar, Lilith by his side, and a smirk on his face. He'd had a feeling about tonight, and it was the only reason he'd insisted so much that they come out to the bar on this night. He looked over to Lilith to see if she was seeing what he was. The dark haired female rolled her eyes when she noticed Randall's attention, making a snide comment. "You would be this excited by Hamish putting himself out there."

He smiled. "What can I say, I knew it would be a good night. He's pretty far gone, you want to leave him here and see what happens?" He asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Lilith roller her eyes, but conceded to herself that this was probably a good thing for Hamish after everything that had happened, and knowing him he would try to use the two of them to prevent himself from having any fun. Reluctantly, she agreed with Randall with a nod and they both quickly finished off their drinks and slipped out of the bar unnoticed to go their separate ways.

* * *

Blaire wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but knew it must have been significant. Her feet were starting to hurt, and the DJ had just announced that the last song was about to play. She couldn't remember what time the bar closed in her current state, but assumed it was close to that time. She and the stranger had gotten _very_ close during their time together on the dance floor, and each had the swollen lips to attest to it as they both got carried away by the mix of alcohol, close proximity, and sweating bodies. She'd spent the better part of what must have been the last hour dancing suggestively with the stranger, and she had relished the moment when he tilted his head ever so slightly to capture her lips with his. Blaire had been shocked at first, but couldn't help but melt into the kiss. Something about it just felt...right.

They'd been virtually inseparable after that point, Blaire remembered. It was definitely how she ended up waking up next to him, naked, in a house she'd never seen before with incredibly vivid memories from the night before. He'd stirred as she'd explored what she assumed was his bedroom, looking for enough of her clothing to cover up what needed to be covered up in order to make it back to her own place without being exposed to the entire world. It was easier said than done in the early morning light. She was wrestling on her jeans when he spoke.

"Holy fuck," he grumbled, pushing himself up on the bed so that he was sitting. Blaire made no effort to hide the fact that she was watching as the sheet slipped down his chest, leaving him nearly exposed in front of her again.

"You're telling me. Been a long time since I've done this, but don't mind me. I'll be out of your hair soon," she trailed off cheerily, moving on to putting her shirt on. If there was one way to keep her good mood even with a raging hangover, it was the memory of good dick.

"Can't say I've done something like this recently either." He paused for a moment. "I don't think I ever got your name?" He asked more than stated, and she snorted. Learning each other's names last night had clearly not been on either of their minds.

"Blaire. Blaire Kensington." She answered, searching for her phone and keys last. How her keys had left her pocket she had no idea.

"Hamish Duke." He said, returning the favor, leaving another pregnant pause as she searched for what she needed. "While last night was...unexpected, it certainly wasn't boring. Can I get your phone number or something?" He asked, curiosity filling his gaze.

Blaire almost froze. This gorgeous human wanted _her_ phone number? This kind of shit only happened on tv. Thinking on her feet, she responded after only a moment. "I don't have a habit of giving my phone number to men I hook up with once. I'll tell you what. You can have my phone number if we meet again, and you still want it. Sound fair?"

He didn't even hesitate with his answer, a smirk clear as day on his face like he knew something she didn't. "That's a deal. I'll see you soon, Blaire."

She squealed inwardly, her face reddening as she understood the implication. Finding her keys, she darted out of the room and left before anything else could come out of her mouth that she would immediately regret saying.

By the time she had gotten home (through the woods, oddly enough) the blood had drained from her cheeks and her night was catching up with her. She wasn't sure how much sleep she had actually gotten over the course of the night, but knew from how sluggish her body was that it wasn't much. The only thing on her mind as she shoved her keys into the lock of her front door was her nice warm bed that was calling her name.

* * *

Annnnd there we have it! The true beginning to the plot. This chapter is longer than both of the last chapters combined, and is more or less what should be expected now that we're starting in. Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

SUNDAY EVENING was much less eventful than the one prior. Blaire had barely made it up to her bed before passing out, waking some hours later at two in the afternoon. Her dreams had left her breathless in a way that almost scared her. She had hooked up with guys before, but never had one rocked her world like the one from last night.

Set on taking her mind off of a man that she tried to convince herself she wouldn't _actually_ see ever again, she finally changed out of the clothes that she'd been wearing for way too long into something more comfortable and started in on her weekly chore list that she liked to have completed before the next week started including laundry and routine cleaning. Blaire chose to ignore the part of her that knew this was just the beginning of whatever fate had in store for her, choosing instead to embrace the utter normality of her life.

Throwing herself into her very normal chores was the perfect remedy.

* * *

A few days had passed without incident, but Blaire still couldn't get Haymish out of her mind. She was distracted, completely and utterly distracted. She found herself thinking about him at the most inappropriate times, growing more and more frustrated. Confusion clouded her thoughts as well. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since that night, and had no reason to still be reacting to the thought of him like this (or even thinking about him this much, for that matter).

She couldn't escape him. Thoughts of him plagued her mind when all she wanted to do was focus on her work, whether it be the paid kind or classwork. It took all of her effort to keep on task and not let her mind wander. By the end of each day she was more exhausted than the last, and it was only getting worse. She'd tried everything she could think of to satisfy whatever beast had awoken within her. Nothing was working, and she just wanted to get over it already.

And then she saw him.

It was Thursday evening and her Property course had just let out, slightly over time at 7:17 PM. The professor was terrible at keeping time, and often went off on tangents that only vaguely had to do with the subject matter and took nearly twenty extra minutes to wrap up her thoughts. So there she was, packing up her things, where out of the corner of her eye she saw a certain sandy-blonde individual slip into the classroom between exiting students and approach the professor. Out of habit, Blaire looked up at the movement and immediately returned her attention to her things when she realized that of all the people that could need something from her professor after her class, it was Haymish.

Blaire tried to rationalize to herself that she could slip through this if she treated the situation like the age old adage of children, where if she couldn't see him he couldn't see her. Once her laptop was zipped up into her bag, she slung one of the straps over her shoulder and made a beeline for the door making sure to do her best to pretend that she hadn't seen him, hoping that her wish was reality for him.

When she wasn't immediately approached after leaving the room, she let out a breath that she was painfully aware that she had been holding in. Books cradled in her arms, she took the stairs down to the law locker area in an attempt to further her distance from Haymish faster than the elevator could. Her heart was racing, and all she felt shaky. The amount of tries it took to correctly enter her combination into the lock on her locker was evidence enough of that. Placing her texts carefully into her assigned space, she glanced behind her and realized the locker area was deserted.

The thought made her slightly uncomfortable, but she sucked in a breath and grabbed the texts that she would need for the weekend assignments. Holding them in her left arm, she used her right to close the metal door and click the lock shut, pulling down on it for good measure. Satisfied with its state, she turned on her heel and weaved her way through the artificial hall of lockers back towards the exit, her backpack on her back only by the right strap.

She could almost see her freedom when she turned the corner towards the double doors that led outside when she almost collided with another body, eliciting a sharp "Jesus!" and a very short stop. She cursed herself internally, one quick glance revealed the body to be none other than Haymish. '_I should have just left straight after class…'_ she thought to herself, trying to keep a neutral look on her face.

He spoke first. "I didn't know you were a law student." A simple observation.

Blaire quirked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't say you were expected to, we weren't exactly sharing our life stories…" she trailed off, confused on why it mattered. It then occurred to her that it was likely that he too was a law student, realizing that it wasn't common for outsiders to the program to even be in the building. "You didn't mention that you were affiliated with the department either." She probed, praying that he would take the bait and explain his presence in her space.

His response started with a small smile. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself affiliated. I used to study here, but left the program in favor of another. I had some questions for Professor Freiv on a...personal project of mine," he explained, leaning his shoulder against the wall next to him.

Heart still racing, she made a quick glance at the doors behind him noting the darkness of the sky, glancing down at her watch quickly next. "As pleasant as this conversation is, I really do need to get home. Walking after dark isn't my favorite hobby," she responded, hoping that was enough of a "goodbye" to not be considered totally rude, and made to move around him.

"Do you live on campus? I could walk you, if you like." She paused, and cursed herself again. She'd tried to look this gift horse in the mouth one too many times and her resolution was cracking. She warred with herself internally for barely a moment before giving in and responding.

"Sure, that'd be nice. But you're going to carry my backpack for me in exchange for the privilege!" He chuckled and reached out for the purple floral print bag that hung off of her shoulder.

"That's a price I'm willing to pay."

Once he had possession of the bag, Blaire started walking towards the exit with Haymish only a half step behind her. "So what question did you have for Professor Fiev?" She asked, curious about the kind of question that could bring a former student back to the throes of the law department.

He hesitated, trying to carefully word his response. "There's a property I recently came into possession of, and I wasn't sure of the legal implications of title and all that. Professor Friev is an expert in his field, and was able to shed some light on the situation." Blaire nodded, accepting the answer at face value. She took note that Professor Friev was an expert in his field, but most particularly in the property rights of the local area of Belgrave University.

He took the opportunity to ask a question of his own, "So what brings you to our law program? Not to say it's not a good program, but there's plenty of schools on equal footing in more geographically advantageous locations."

She made a face, not expecting to answer this question so soon. "It's a combination of things, really. I'm not from the area, so there's no nostalgia factor. My background is more of a research based one, anyways. It's the combination of the legal program and research opportunities the University has to offer that I'm here. Truthfully, I'm only a part time law student. I work for the University full time as a research specialist, studying ancient texts and teaching the occasional introductory latin course." She answered, leaving a couple need-to-know pieces out. "And I can't say my number one priority is getting the best paying job after passing the bar, if I choose to take it. Learning, especially research, is really my thing. Legal programs in general have a lot of room for that, and this opportunity sort of fell into my lap and it was too good to pass up." She finished, feeling like the information was just rushing out faster than she wanted it to.

'_It's clearly been too long since I've had social interaction,_' she thought grumpily. They were about halfway across campus at this point, and she just wanted to be home. She hated the feeling she had in her stomach, the nerves fighting their way through her system, and she just wanted it to _stop_.

His voice interrupted her near panic. "Belgrave really is a special place. You're not the first to be inexplicably drawn here, that's for sure." Was his response, which Blaire tried not to read too far into.

'_There's no way he knows. Whatever is going on here is too well hidden a secret for the first person I stumble into bed with to be in the know._'

"Yeah," she smiled, the conversation drying up until she made a turn that he clearly hadn't expected, almost walking away from her. She laughed, awkwardly. "Yeah, part of this job has me in housing that's super out of the way from most of campus. I live in the Old Manor house," she explained, recalling the signage that stood outside her home (whose description had clearly changed a few times, evidenced by the faded lettering that currently remined blank).

Haymish's face twisted in confusion. "The Old Manor? I thought they'd condemned that place, they say it hasn't been occupied in decades."

She pursed her lips, shrugging. "My best guess is they had nowhere else to put me. The place isn't that outdated either." Blaire bit her tongue, stopping her next words from actually making it out of her mouth. '_You could come over and check it out sometime…_'

He shrugged. "Rumors spread like wildfire in a place like this, so I'm not surprised. It's quite the hike however from Old Manor to really anywhere on campus, I'm surprised we bumped into each other for the first time at the Blade and Chalice of all places."

She nodded in agreement, readjusting the books in her arms as they started down the final walkway that would lead to her front door. "I was surprised too, but I'm pretty occupied between school and work and I can get tunnel vision pretty bad. It's very in character for me to be unaware of the people around me every now and again." She explained away the situation, fishing out her keys from her pocket as they passed through the opening in the stone wall that surrounded most of the front yard.

His response came as she walked up the couple steps to the small porch in front of her door, turning to hold her arm out for her backpack. "I just can't believe that I'd miss a face as pretty as yours." And he grinned, holding out her bag.

Blaire stopped in her tracks, staring him dead in the eye. His charm was endearing, but not about to work on her. "Very cute, Prince Charming. I may not be immune to your charms, but I'm definitely immune to that line." She rolled her eyes, but smiled to show him she wasn't entirely serious. "Try a little harder next time and maybe I'll invite you in!" And before she could let her words sink in even for herself she'd winked and unlocked her door.

The last thing she heard before the door shut behind her was an "I'll hold you to that!" and the door was closed behind her. She dropped her bag in front of her and fell back against the door, pinching the bridge of her nose in a cringe. She'd just _flirted_ with him! And he'd _responded_! _Positively_!

Turning lights on as she went, she made a beeline to her bedroom after retrieving her backpack once again, needing to get out of these clothes, hop into the shower, and process that eventful ending to an otherwise uneventful day.

_Fuck_.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hi everyone, I'm "back!" Technically never left or forgot about this, I'm just an actual law student and busy with the semester and everything else that's going on. Enjoy the newest part to Chokehold, comments are always appreciated! 


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